Everything's Fair in Love and War - An Amourshipping story

Chapter 19 - Sleepless Nights

Warning: This chapter is after a very major writer's block. Read at your own risk.

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The wind blew the velvet curtain away from the window. Every time it swayed, the moonlight would flicker in and out of the room. There was the usual chirps of the crickets and apart from Alec's guards patrolling around the castle, the night was surrounded by its usual stillness.

Ash sighed. His eyes refused to close and he knew exactly why. 

"Serena" Gary said, making her look up "The first part might be a bit scary, if you don't like it, we could-"

"It doesn't matter" she cut him short "If it means that Alec's tyranny will end, then I will do it."

Gary smiled "Okay then".

Ash had smiled too. He loved Serena for this and that very confidence dissolved into him. However, it fell when Gary told them what he had planned to do.

"The dungeon!"

"It's okay, Ash" Serena said. She placed a reassuring palm on his "It won't even be an entire night"; she looked up at him and smiled "I promise I'll be okay. Okay?"

Ash had nodded then, but on the inside, he was stuck on a strict 'No'. What was the point? He couldn't do anything about it any way.

The gray cell's image reappeared in his head and it depressed him. He didn't care, he didn't want to. He could get caught for all he cared, but there was no way he could sleep calm and peaceful on this plush bed, while she was in the dark, cold and lonely.

Without a second thought, he threw himself off the bed, grabbed his robe and sped out of the room. He slowed his footsteps,when he saw a glow coming  from one of the rooms in the second floor. It was only then, that it hit him that there were no guards patrolling the corridors.

Did that mean that Gary and Paul were there too? he asked himself. They have to be, don't they?

With slow, cautious steps he made his way to the room, hid behind one of the display vases and craned his head to get a better view.

It was exactly what he had expected. The guards, who were there at the moment, were all seated, backs facing to Ash and were intently listening to what Alec was saying. In the corner were a very bored Gary and Paul.

Ash smiled as he moved away from there to the dungeons. Alec could say and do whatever he wanted, because none of it mattered. They were going to win and they knew it.

The very musky air swept onto Ash's face. The sadness which he had left with came back. She was here. In this depressing place surrounded only by gray rocks.

Shuddering slightly he made his way to the final cell on the dungeon; walking past the sleeping guards (Jessie and James) he stopped in front of the cell only to find it empty.

His eyes widened in horror. He didn't want to raise an alarm because he didn't want to wake the sleeping guards. The hay which had been on the wooden cot were strewn across the floor and the door was unlocked. Slightly ajar, actually.

Panicking, he ran out the rusted back door of the dungeon. It was slightly ajar too and with two quick steps he found himself in the royal gardens. He felt slightly relieved since he knew Serena had to be somewhere here.

He almost called out her name, but stopped when he realized there were guards patrolling the area. This slightly scared him, because he didn't want her to get caught and be harmed more than she already was. Quietly moving across the grass he began looking around for her.